Employment Contracts and Policies

No matter what size a business might be, all employers must have robust and carefully drafted employment contracts and policies in place. These are vital to ensure the effective and smooth running of the business and will also help to reduce the risk of issues arising in the future.

Having clearly written contracts, as well as policies covering areas where disputes might arise, can mitigate the various implications for the business concerned and mean that these can be quickly resolved by reference to the document rather than having a drawn-out legal battle.

To speak to one of our employment lawyers ., contact us today. Complete the online enquiry form or email us at clientservices@giambronelaw.com.

Employment contracts

Every employee must have at least a basic employment contract. This is a fundamental right of the employee and can give rise to various issues if a dispute arises, and there is no contract.

What should be included in an employment contract?

Employment contracts set out the rights and obligations of the employer and employee during (and sometimes after) the employment relationship. Although these will follow a general structure, they will vary depending on the nature of the business and the specific role of the employee. These should be specific to the individual rather than applying the same contract across the workforce.

All employment contracts have certain requirements that must be included in writing, for example:

• Job title
• The date the employment began
• Place of work
• Pay as well as the frequency of pay
• Hours of work
• Notice periods to terminate the contract
• Annual leave entitlement and holiday pay

These contracts should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect any changes to both the law and the business itself.

Policies and procedures

For a business to operate effectively, with a happy and productive workforce, an employer should have in place various workplace policies and procedures. These policies and procedures should detail the rules that employees and workers must follow, as well as set expectations and workplace standards. These can help to reduce the risk of workplace disputes arising since employees should then be aware of their rights and responsibilities as well as what is expected of them from their employers. These should also be regularly reviewed and updated.

What are policies and procedures in the workplace?

There are a wide variety of policies and procedures, some of which are a necessity for all businesses, such as:

• Disciplinary matters
• Grievance procedures
• Equal opportunities
• Health and safety
• Sickness
• Communications

Other policies are business-specific and do not have to be adopted by every organisation. For example, some business may have a bad weather policy in place where seasonal weather issues could impact them.

These policies and procedures need to be drawn up so that they reflect and assist the business within which they are to be used. They must be clear and easily understandable, and it is often desirable to ensure some sort of consultation with staff over certain policies, such as those relating to disciplinary or grievance procedures.

Contact our Specialist Employment Lawyers in the UK

Our expert employment lawyers . have a wealth of knowledge and experience concerning employment contracts and policies. We can help clients to prepare and implement their employment contracts as well as policies and procedures and can guide you on the relevant law in these areas to make sure that they are legally compliant. To find out more about how we can help you, please contact us today, complete the online enquiry form or email us at clientservices@giambronelaw.com.